Thursday, August 31st, 2006 at 3:42 pm  |  24 responses

Gilbert, My Jumaine Man and Nadal…

News and notes from around the NBA.

by Lang Whitaker

I was out of the office all day yesterday, pulling off a rare doubleheader of New York sports stuff. My parents were in town, so I spent the last two weeks procuring tickets, and finally managed to pull it off.

We started by going out to Queens yesterday morning and spending all day at the afternoon session of the US Open. I’ve never been much of a tennis fan, but I do appreciate great athletes; from our seats in Arthur Ashe Stadium, we saw four of the greatest athletes in the world play: Rafael Nadal, Amelie Mauresmo, Roger Federer and Serena Williams. (Here’s a Sidekick picture I took of Nadal serving.)

It was a pretty cool event, and I got particularly interested in watching the ballboys, who were trying to run around and collect the loose balls while being as inconspicuous as possible. There was one moment where there was one of the kids grabbed a ball and ran behind Federer, as he sprinted behind him he bumped into a umpire and three balls went flying into the air, bouncing all over the place. Of course, every eye in the stadium focused in on the poor kid, as he scrambled around trying to grab all the balls. He finally collected them and, in trying to hustle to his spot, rammed into a cameraman. When he finally got to his spot even Federer was watching him. Federer then calmly said, “Ball, please.”

From the US Open we busted it up to the Bronx and went to the Yankees/Tigers game, which was great, too. My dad had been to Yankee Stadium as a kid in 1949 and hadn’t been back since, so he was pretty excited to get back. We had great seats, right behind third base, and we got to see what was a close, exciting game until we left, exhausted, in the 8th, with the Yankees ahead 3-2. Got home and found out the Yanks lost on a two-out homer in the top of the ninth.

Anyway, that’s why I was away all day yesterday. And then this weekend we’ve got Labor Day, so thing might be a little slow around here then, too.

For now, though, let’s check out The Links…

QUOTES OF THE DAY
“They already knew what they wanted. They said it was a tryout, but they already had their team selected … No joke, I felt like I was the 16th man on a 15-man roster. You are there to support your team and support your country and be happy to play but you know, I did everything they wanted me to do; but if I did everything they wanted me to do, why am I on the bubble of getting cut? I sacrificed. You’ve got LeBron being LeBron. You’ve got Carmelo being Carmelo. You’ve got D-Wade being D-Wade. Why can’t I be me? Why do I have to transform? I did that and now you are going to cut me?” — Gilbert Arenas, on his USA Basketball experience.

“I’m going to be the silent assassin this year. I can’t wait to play the Suns and Portland. Against Portland, Nate McMillan, I’m going to try to score 100 in two games and against D’Antoni, I’m going to score 100 in two games. I’m going to try.” — Gilbert.

THE LINKS…
• Gilbert Arenas isn’t so excited about his time with USA Basketball. He vents today to the Washington Post that he doesn’t understand why they let him go from the team after he tried to “transform” his game. What he means but doesn’t say is that Team USA wanted pass-first point guards, which Gilbert has never been and probably never will be. Instead they tried playing him at the two guard, so he could jack up threes, but he wasn’t able to shoot well, so they let him go. I love Gilbert, but it was obvious watching Team USA training that Gil just wasn’t a good fit for the team. Don’t take it personally, Gil. Actually, it’ll be more fun for the rest of us if you do take it personal.

• The Suns have unearthed another gunner who’s never had the chance to shoot every time he touches the ball in the NBA — Jumaine Jones. (Can I say he’s my jumaine man? We both went to UGA, after all.) “I didn’t want to take a pay cut to play in Phoenix,” Jones didn’t say, “but I knew I’d average ridiculous numbers and some crazy GM would way overpay me when this contract runs out.”

• As a Hawks fan, I like hearing someone talk about how much better we’ll be next season, even if it is a guy who just signed with the team.

• Linkstigator Chris Sheridan had this very confusing World Championships TV guide in his column:

The winner of the Greece-United States game (3:30 a.m. EDT, ESPN2) will advance to play the winner of the Spain-Argentina game (6:30 a.m. EDT, ESPN2). ESPN2 will re-broadcast Greece-USA on Friday at 4 p.m. EDT. Both semifinal games will also be re-broadcast Saturday afternoon on NBA TV and Saturday evening on ESPN U (Spain-Argentina, 6 p.m. EDT; Greece-USA, 8 p.m. EDT). FIBA switched the Americans and Greeks into the early semifinal slot to ensure a larger television audience in Europe, where the Spain-Argentina game will begin in the late morning or early afternoon.”

Got that?

• Check out the note low here about Kenyon Martin looking great in workouts.

• Is it just me, or does Chris Mullin intimate here that Mike Montgomery was starting to realize he didn’t understand the NBA?

• And is it incongruous to anyone else that the Blazers formerly had a “Mexican-themed” club?

• Shawn Kemp…in shape…chiseled…can we believe it?

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  • Tommy Jackson Posted: Aug.31 at 5:08 pm
    Does it seem incongruous to anyone else that Lang just used the word incongruous on the Links? I’m just saying…

  • Bryant Reeves Posted: Aug.31 at 5:20 pm
    Should we just start calling Jumaine Jones “Tim Thomas version 2.0″?

  • Xtapolapacetl Posted: Aug.31 at 5:33 pm
    Here are some pictures of Kemp: http://img431.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kemp1zk6.jpg http://img431.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kemp2nh8.jpg

  • » Happy Blogday! - SLAM Online Posted: Aug.31 at 5:52 pm
    [...] I don’t really have a set rotation of blogs I go through on non-NBA topics. At least not the smaller ones outside of what I usually talk about, that are the whole point of blogday. There’s almost nothing going on right now in the NBA. The Rockets are thinking about adding Casey Jacobsen and that is grabbing headlines, so you know it’s that time of year. But like I always say, no matter how small your NBA blog is, send me the link. There are so many more baseball and even football blogs there are out there compared to NBA ones. I think there might be more New York Mets blogs than every NBA team combined blogs. Trust me, I know. We’ve got to do something to change that, or at least make it less of a blowout. So, on this happy blogday, I say we try to do better in the future. By the way, Lang wrote in The Links about how he went to the U.S. Open yesterday. Yeah, that’s cool and all but has he ever won the US. Open? I have. Here’s a photo. [...]

  • albie1kenobi Posted: Aug.31 at 6:05 pm
    sadly, i don’t think gilbert will be back on team USA after those comments. in fact he wasn’t gonna be on it no matter what. his game just doesn’t translate in the international game. which means i’ll be cheering for him when he tries to pull off those 50 point nights vs suns and blazers. and i can’t see that happening seeing that it’s suns and blazers. too bad he can’t just enroll at UNC and drop 100 on Duke. you know he would. oh yeah, just a thought: would AI make the team if he was invited?

  • albie1kenobi Posted: Aug.31 at 6:06 pm
    i mean i CAN see it happening against the suns and blazers. LaMarcus, where you at?

  • NZ Baller Posted: Aug.31 at 6:33 pm
    Shawn’s looking good…awesome to see! Be interesting to see what type of role he plays on the team…

  • B Ball I.Q. Posted: Aug.31 at 6:45 pm
    I know I ain’t the only one who sees that the League is in fo it this year, Gil is gonna go off. Pulling from 30 like we all know he loves to do, he’s gonna kill Portland and murder the PHX, it’s not like they play D anyway. He might not be as good as the 3 he mentioned but he’s right there and he should be on the squad, if he was they wouldn’t be going 10 for 40 from 3. Can’t wait to see Gil go off, shit, I just can’t wait for the league to start, period.

  • Troy Dallas Posted: Aug.31 at 7:18 pm
    I think Gilbert’s every bit as good as Lebron, Carmelo and DWade. Maybe not as athletic or flashy, but he is an assassin. Go get em Gil. drop 100 if possible, just let loose.

  • winston and the telescreen Posted: Aug.31 at 7:21 pm
    Gilbert would be my favorite player if I wasnt such a die hard laker fan
    He WILL drop 50 on both those teams
    theres no doubt in my mind

  • Joe_X Posted: Aug.31 at 8:33 pm
    If Kemp really is chiseled, the newspaper should have ran a picture of him to prove it.

  • Justin Posted: Aug.31 at 9:59 pm
    Shawn’s last year in the L here in O-Town, he couldn’t even dunk. It was like wtaching the older brother in Hoop Dreams talking about how he was too fat and couldn’t dunk.

  • Ben Posted: Aug.31 at 10:57 pm
    Matthew Yglesias brought up a good point – Gilbert thrives on being (or at least feeling slighted). That’s where he gets his drive from, and if this is another way to make himself work harder, I’m all for it.

  • Gilbert0 Posted: Sep.1 at 3:45 am
    i love gilbert. he has been my favourite player since his golden state days. so was it a groin strain?

  • Allen Posted: Sep.1 at 6:14 am
    DON’T READ IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE GAME
    _______________________________________
    Crap. Well I’m up and irritated. Coach K made no defensive adjustments. How about a zone? The US was getting pick and rolled to death. Why didn’t Dwight Howard get more burn? He would have blocked or altered a lot of those shots in the paint. There was a tv shot of him at the end of the game. His lips were pursed, but he didn’t have any anger, because it wasn’t on him – he didn’t get to play! DWade’s game has been exposed. If he can’t hit the outside jumper, he just trys to bulldoze in and get contact. Doesn’t work against a zone that’s packed inside. Lebron and Carmelo played well on offense. Hinrich was cold blooded in hitting late threes. But this game was all about the U.S.’ inability to stop the Greeks on offense. Over and over the Greeks burned the Americans, and the U.S. failed to make adjustments. Really irritating. I’m putting this loss on the coaching. You’ve got the players with the best ability in the world, but the defensive system, or lack of one, was just ill. The U.S. coaches need to watch tape of the international defenses. I have no doubt the U.S. could execute it better than those teams. They just weren’t instructed to by the coaches. Go USA. Make some adjustments against the loser of Argentina-Spain. I’m all for Phil Jackson coaching the Olympics.

  • Gilbert0 Posted: Sep.1 at 8:28 am
    i can’t remember who was available or injured or whatever but redd, allen, gilbert or chauncey should have played. hinrich 4-7 for three, the rest 5-21. That doesnt cut it in international ball. Wade is built for NBA only

  • kdubb Posted: Sep.1 at 10:24 am
    I think we can definitively stop all of the DWade and/or Lebron comparisons to MJ. Mike just never would’ve let this happen. Period. I have to say though, it is good to see the rest of the world getting better. It’s going to make the future of international hoops that much more exciting.

  • Chris O'Leary Posted: Sep.1 at 10:56 am
    Where’s Steve Kerr when you need him?

  • Jack Posted: Sep.1 at 1:39 pm
    Lang, that mean you saw that rally between Nadal and the other guy where it went completely crazy and everyone was cheering? And then the other guy took the point at the end and the commentator said “that’s one of the points of the century”. Here in the UK that was being shown like… 5 minutes before the football transfer window closed. That said… the deadline passed during commercials…….. You’re a football fan yeah? Tevez went to West Ham. Newcastle signed some Man City bench warmer. Chelsea got ripped off. (I’m a Newcastle fan) And so ends my non-basketball related comment.

  • TripleDouble Posted: Sep.1 at 3:43 pm
    “It was a pretty cool event, and I got particularly interested in watching the ballboys.” Hahahaaaaa, awesome. I love their little shorts.
    (grow up? never.)

  • fergus Posted: Sep.1 at 4:47 pm
    http://img431.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kemp1zk6.jpg that image of kemp is definitely NOT helping his case for being clean and sober.

  • Michell Posted: Sep.3 at 2:08 pm
    No matter what the reason for him being taken off the USA roster, count on Gilbert Arenas to be once again sickly motivated and greatly improved in the upcoming season

  • Michell Posted: Sep.3 at 2:36 pm
    http://www.myspace.com/dcwizards

  • 1ozzy Posted: Sep.5 at 12:36 pm
    Kemp has got a whole lot more work to do. I know the BMI index is flawed but 6’10″ on the BMI chart still falls in the overweight category. This is good if you play in the post – which Kemp does. However, not good if you want to re-call the days of the “Reign Man” – this is what everybody is hoping for.
    Imagine this for a minute. . .Kemp gliding in from the baseline catching an ally thrown from the wing and just hanging on the rim for a second like an exclamation mark. . .Beautiful! This is why a return is highly anticipated.

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